Friday, 28 June 2013

If you don't have the excuse of a regular gig as a cocktail columnist, family members start to suspect you of being a bit of a lush. It's with great pleasure I can inform my nearest and dearest that the last few months of being a dedicated bar-louche have been consigned to the 'Domestic Sluttery research' bank.

My taste buds started craving a Negroni this week, but imagine how much more fun the drink might be with a bit of slush-puppy inspired deconstruction.

The Negroni Gin Float consists of two scoops of Campari and vermouth sorbet floating in ice cold gin. The alcohol the sorbet doesn't even need stirring, it just happily sets into a delicious silky smooth consistency. Just make sure you don't get through too much of the stuff before you serve your guests.

Negroni Gin Float (the sorbet should make enough for 5 cocktails, if you're having two scoops)For the sorbet you'll need:

150ml Water

50ml Campari

50ml Martini Rosso

50ml Pink grapefruit juice

150g Sugar

Zest of 1/4 of a grapefruit

Squeeze of lemon (optional)

For the cocktail you'll need:

50ml gin

Grapefruit zest

Lemon peel for garnish

Make the sorbet the night before:

Add the water, Campari, martini, squeezed grapefruit juice and sugar to a small pan. Gently heat until the sugar has dissolved.

Give it a taste and if you like a bit of tang squeeze some lemon in. It's a matter of personal taste but I think that sugar needs to be kept in check and a bit of lemon or lime is a perfect way to do it.

Pour the mixture into a tupperware pot and drop it in the freezer overnight. I don't have an ice cream maker to test but it would make the job easier and avoid ice crystals, although bear in mind the alcohol does skew the freezing process so don't be too heavy-handed, no matter how tempting.

Then shake (sort of):

Using a vegetable peeler at a 45 degree angle take a thin constant strip of skin from the base to the top of a lemon.

Line a small tumbler with the lemon.

Scoop two balls of the sorbet and drop into the base of the tumbler.

Drown the sorbet in 50ml of your frozen gin.

Grate a little grapefruit zest over the top of the drink to compliment the aromatics of the lemon peel and the slowly melting sorbet.